My 10 year old Glen Davenport, was found "hanging" on February 4th, 1968 in Jacksonville, Florida. The evening before he had been reported missing to the police.

The police never searched for him; it was members of my family, neighbors, and friends that searched for him.
The lot of land he was found "hanging" on was down the street from our home. The lot had been searched multiple times throughout the evening and night Glen was missing. The last search was around 4:00 a.m. Glen was not there.

But then just a few hours later he was found hanging. That means that someone put him there sometime after the last search of the area at 4:00 a.m.
Glen was in a kneeling, almost sitting position; with his knees touching the ground or slightly drawn up. The toes of his shoes were pushed into the ground. We found out the rope had been looped twice around his neck and tied loosely in the back. If Glen had been conscious or alive he could have stood up to save himself; he could have untied the loose knot in the back and unwound the rope from around his neck.

The first police officer or officers to arrive made statements that the rope was not tight enough to have killed him, and to my father "That rope is not what killed your boy".
But then when the detectives and investigators took over, they ignored everything suspicious about Glen's disappearance and death. They ignored the fact that Glen was terrified of the dark and would not have been out all night. They ignored the WITNESS STATEMENTS that Glen was not there during any of the searches, even the last search at 4:00 a.m.
They ignored that his jacket was unzipped; despite it being cold. If Glen could have he would have zipped his jacket up.
They ignored the dirt under Glen's fingernails that was not normal for him; he couldn't stand to be dirty or even sticky from candy, etc.
They ignored the bruises around his mouth (toward and under the cheekbones) that looked like someone had had a hand over his mouth.

They decided that Glen's death was an "accidental" death. Glen would not have stayed gone all night. He would not have waited in the dark and the cold (not even zipping his jacket up) until the searchers stopped looking for him; and then gone to play on or with the rope swing. He was not out playing at that time of morning and neither were any other kids.

The assistant ME performed only a preliminary autopsy on Glen's body, and ruled his death as accidental; asphyxiation due to hanging. But how could a rope that the first police officer or officers to arrive on the scene and stated as not being tight enough to have killed him; be tight enough to have caused the asphyxiation that caused his death?

Last year I contacted the Cold Case Team and a review was done of Glen's case. The Cold Case detectives made several written statements that Glen's death was suspicious; but yet would not interview a man in prison for a very similar hanging death of a 10 year old in 1957 in NY that was known to be in Florida. They stopped short of interviewing this possible suspect, and closed the review of Glen's case.

After getting copies of what I thought was Glen's autopsy report, it turns out to not be the autopsy report; but a report that had been sent to the State Attorney's Office. That is something that I think is required for every autopsy done.

Recently while re-reading this report, I noticed that Glen was embalmed before an autopsy could be done.
He was found "hanging" around 7:30 or 7:45 a.m. By 11:00 of that same morning his body was being sent to be embalmed, but without the signed release from anyone in my family that was required for Glen's body to be embalmed prior to examination by the ME or assistant ME.

The body of this little boy who had been found dead under very suspicious circumstances was being hurredly sent to be embalmed; and without the required release for it from any of Glen's nearest of kin (including his parents).

Shouldn't the rush have been to do an autopsy on the body of a child who had died under very suspicious circumstances?

I found out from an embalmer that during the embalming process the body is thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. If Glen had been molested any outward evidence of it would have been destroyed and cleaned away by the disinfectant.

We had always been told that Glen was not sexually molested, but there is nothing on the papers from the ME's Office to show that his body was examined for possible molestation during the autopsy.
On the copy of the review report done last year by the Cold Case detectives there is a statment "No sexual assault was noted, and no kit obtained".

The assistant ME was doing an autopsy on a body that had already been thoroughly disinfected and cleaned, then embalmed. All outward evidence had already been cleaned away; it was destroyed.

When there is a rape or sexual assault victim, a "kit" is supposed to be obtained before the victim or victim's body is cleaned up.
If Glen's body had even been examined for possible molestation, with the outward evidence of it (semen, etc.) having already been destroyed and cleaned away during the embalming process; of course no "kit" was going to be obtained.

I found out other things that the embalming process would have changed about Glen's body before the autopsy was done.
The autopsy results on an already embalmed body are going to be different than on a body that had not been embalmed first.

Seems to me that someone wanted Glen's body to yield as little evidence as possible.

My parents both had to go to their graves never knowing who killed their youngest son. My brothers, sisters, and I cannot give up trying to get answers to what happened to Glen, and who killed him.

Glen was reported missing around 8:00 p.m. of February 3rd, I believe. But even before my parents called the police to report Glen missing, members of my family had already started searching for him when he wasn't home as it was getting toward early evening. When the searches first began, it was still light outside.

There is so very little detail on the papers I was finally able to get from the ME's Office. As I said, it's not even the autopsy report. No livor mortis or rigor mentioned. No lividity mentioned.
The only detail is of the results of the examinations of Glen's heart, lungs, trachea, larynx, and that a blood speciman tested negative for alcohol. And then the only marks noted on Glen's neck were indentations. I would think that if a rough hemp rope was tight enough around someone's neck to asphyxiate them to death; there would be other marks from a rough hemp rope such as scrapes from the rope or the other markings that I have seen online in hanging deaths (the discoloration around the area where the rope had been).

I don't know the difference between a mortuary and a morgue. What it says on the papers from the ME's Office is that Glen's body was first taken to what appears to be a hospital and then pronounced dead by a doctor and the Sgt. and investigator from the Homicide Division (the ones assigned to Glen's case) at 9:35 a.m. And then 10 minutes later (at 9:45 a.m) his body was at the ME's Office (brought by the ambulance from the funeral home).

I think the only thing done the short while Glen's body was at the ME's Office before being sent to be embalmed was the blood sample taken. His body was sent at 11:00 a.m to the funeral home to be embalmed.

We don't know who asked or had Glen's body sent to be embalmed before an autopsy could be done.
In the papers from the ME's Office there is no copy of any release form for Glen's body to be sent for the embalment.
The only release is one that my mother signed AFTER Glen's body had been embalmed and the autopsy done. Someone had told my parents that the first funeral home (the one that did the embalment) wasn't a good one, so for the preparation for Glen's funeral my parents chose a different funeral home.

Both the first funeral home (that had done the embalment) and the second one my parents had Glen's body sent to for preparation for the funeral home merged years later with another funeral home.
I did call that funeral home recently to ask if they had copies of Glen's embalment records and the condition his body was in when taken in.
I was told that all records except pre-needs records were destroyed in a fire in the mid '80's. The man I spoke to told me that he would look for Glen's records and send them to me. I asked if he could also look for any other possible records that might have survived the fire. I got a letter from him days later saying he couldn't find any records at all; not even the pre-needs records.

I then called Funeral Home Associations, etc. to ask how long funeral homes have to keep records and was told they only have to keep them for 2 years. I also asked if they are required to send duplicate records to anyone else like any agencies, government offices, etc. and was told no.

I just keep thinking about this case! I've also gone and read some of the threads you've posted at other boards on this.

I take it you were there after Glen was found. By any chance to you remember if it looked as if Glen could have been dead for a while? Does your mother remember at all if Glen still felt warm when she hugged him? Or stiff?

Was the rope that was used the regular one that was used as the rope swing? Was the vacant house searched at all? By adults or kids? Where did the guy who owned the lot live? Close by? Was the rope taken into evidence? By any chance does it still exist? What happened to the clothes & jacket he had on that day?

I believe you stated that your family started looking for Glen at 8 pm. In February, it would have been dark for a while then. At what time was he suppose to be home? Do you know where he was suppose to be then? (Being only slightly younger, I fondly remember the great amounts of freedom were were allowed to roam and play on our own as children). Was he with other kids?

Are you a member of Classmates . com? Have you considered posting a message there on the general board for your grade school and junior high about it? Did anyone ever interview teachers/custodians/schoolmates as to if anyone weird was hanging around the school? Notice that he seemed in any particular type of mood the day he went missing?

The fact that he was embalmed before autopsy could either be a horrible screwup or it could be a coverup. To me it smacks of someone trying to hide something - but that's just an outsiders view. (A morgue is where they keep the bodies at the ME's office).

It's too bad that the records from the funeral home weren't available. I know they can keep them a lot longer, since I've gotten the records of many ancestors when I was doing my family history.

__________________Unless I'm posting a link, This is, of course, just my opinion...

After Glen was found, my mother and 8 year old sister ran down to the lot down the street from our home. By the time I got down the street my mother and little sister were already standing by Glen. My mother was shaking Glen, begging him to wake up. Nobody could fathom that Glen was dead. My mother didn't hug Glen, she just shook him. My little sister, being so young and small was face to face with Glen. I stood across the street watching my mother shake Glen begging him to wake up.
Glen's arms, head, and legs didn't change from the position they were in from my mother shaking Glen. Like his body was already stiff.
His eyes were open, looking forward. His tongue was not protruding; his mouth was not gaping open. There was no drool or anything else around his mouth. If it weren't for the only fact that Glen wasn't responding to anyone, he looked normal.

The rope around Glen's neck was the rope swing.

The vacant house was not searched during any of the searches while Glen was missing overnight. In the newspapers articles about Glen's death it says that evidence was found of someone having been in the old vacant house. I'm assuming it was found after Glen was found hanging.

We don't know where the man lived that owned the business and old house on the lot.

When Glen's body was taken down, the rope was taken down; with the end still looped around his neck.
I don't know how long LE kept the rope or anything else. It seems that Glen's case was closed very quickly. And because of the accidental ruling on his death; nothing was retained.

No, the police were called about 8:00 p.m. to report Glen missing. But before that (before it had even gotten dark) people were searching for him. Everyone knew Glen should have been home by then, and when he wasn't people started looking for him.

Glen was home earlier. I think the last time he was seen alive was around 4:00 p.m. of the 3rd. I don't know if it was when he had asked our mother what was for dinner and when she told him it was going to be either fried chicken or fried pork chops; Glen said "Goody", and that he would be back for dinner. He was seen walking down our street in the direction of the lot of land (that he was found dead on the next morning) and we think he was going to the toy store at the corner of the street that intersected with the street the lot of land was on. The fastest way to that toy store was to go down our street in the direction of the lot of land, and walk up that street to get to the toy store at the corner.
After his death we found out that he had been in the toy store wanting to buy some toy boats, but when he didn't have enough money he walked back out of the toy store. We don't know if the people at the toy store were the last ones to see him alive. But it's possible he was coming back home after leaving the toy store. And again walking past the lot of land because that was the quickest way home from the toy store. He was by himself when he went into the toy store.

We have no idea who the detectives and investigators may have questioned, or if they ever even questioned anyone. It was my parents that had talked to the people at the toy store about whether they had seen Glen the day before he was found dead.
As I've already written, the police didn't even look for Glen when he was reported missing the day before being found dead.
In fact, the officer who came to our house for the report about Glen being missing; seemed bothered to be at our house taking the report. He was very impatient, and acted like he just wanted to leave; like it was a waste of his valuable time to be there.

I haven't been to the site in awhile; please forgive me. I have a lot of problems with my internet and it gets so frustrating.

Just as curious52 has read a lot about Glen's story; I have read a lot about Joshua's story. Just too many suspicious things about Joshua's death. The first time I saw the story, my heart started beating rapidly; I got goose bumps, and I cried. I knew what his family was going through.

I have prayed for justice for Joshua; and for his family to see justice done.

After re-reading the older posts; I've decided to re-answer them but this time more simply and easier to follow.

For Pook's questions:

1. "By chance do you remember if it looked as is Glen could have been dead for awhile. Does your mother remember at all if Glen still felt warm when she hugged him? Or stiff?"

Everyone who saw Glen could tell he had been dead for awhile. My mother saw this; so did my little sister who was standing in front of Glen as our mother shook him trying to get him to wake up. I was standing across the street and could even see that Glen's head, arms, legs did not move around as my mother was shaking him. And his feet did not change position either.

2. "Was the rope that was used the regular one that was used as the rope swing"?

Yes, it was the rope swing that had been wrapped twice around Glen's neck.

3. "Was the vacant house searched at all? By adults or kids"?

We don't know who had searched the old vacant house; only that in one of the newspaper articles about Glen's death; it states that evidence was found of someone having been in that house.
We always assumed it had been the police or the homicide detecives and investigators that searched it sometime after Glen's death. But yet, even though evidence was found of someone having been in that old house; the homicide detectives and investigators still; right from the very beginning; called Glen's death "accidental".
I would like to know what the evidence of someone having been in that old house was. I want to know if it was alcohol related. Because the only test on the blood sample taken from Glen's body (before being sent for the embalment) was a test for alcohol. No mention of tests for toxins or anything else; only alcohol. Why only alcohol in a 10 year old boy who had been missing overnight and then found dead so close to an abandoned house? A house in which it was stated that evidence had been found of someone having been in that house?

4. "Where did the guy who owned the lot live; close by"?

We never knew where this man lived.

5. "Was the rope taken into evidence"?

All we know is that Glen's body was taken down; but we don't know how much of the rope was taken with his body. We don't know if it was cut to take Glen's body down or if a police officer, homicide detective or investigator climbed the tree or had someone climb the tree down to remove the entire rope.

6. "What happenen to the clothes and jacket he had on that day"?

I'm assuming they were destroyed. When the funeral home asked my mother if she wanted Glen's clothes; she said no. When my little sister asked her why she didn't want Glen's clothes our mother said "Because Glen had died in them".
I can imagine if my mother had ever known back then that far into the future; DNA evidence could possibly be taken from those clothes; she might have taken the clothes when the funeral home asked if she wanted them.

As far as it being dark when people first started searching for Glen; it wasn't dark yet. It was around 8:00 p.m. when the police were finally called to report Glen missing. But before that; when Glen was not home my other brothers did try to find him and to find out why he was not home.
And on Feb. 3rd ('68) sometime in the afternoon or early evening my mother and little sister had gone to our mother's friends house; before my mother was aware that Glen was missing. Her friend lived in a 2 story house on Mayflower St.; across the street from the lot of land Glen's body was found dead on the next morning. For my mother and little sister to have gotten to my mother's friends house on Mayflower St.; they would have to pass directly in front of the lot of land Glen's body was found on.
If Glen had been there when my mother and little sister had walked by to get to our mother's friends house; they would have seen Glen's body. Esp. in the remaining daylight; if Glen's body had been there they would have seen him.

TronG, this case is still active tho I havent heard from iritgirl in awhile I think because here internet connection has been faulty. This is a really sad case and I hope someday it will be solved for his familys sake.

Thanx Sandi, I became interested in the case recently after finding out the details on the web,you see I was a pupil at that school back were Glen attended in 68 but since my family transferred(military) shortly after his death all I knew then was it was an accident,now to find out the suspicious circumstances of this tragedy,it grieves me as a parent to know what Glen's parents and love ones were and are going through.My prayers are out to the family.

To read about deaths and murders in the newspaper is one thing. To read an account of a death or murder by someone as close to it as you is a totally different thing. It makes it very real.

I live in Australia so our laws and procedures are probably different, but I have a friend who was in forensics for a while and she told me that they nearly eat alive any cop who, when removing a hanging victim, tampers in any way with the knot. The police are required to cut the rope away from the knot and take the whole lot in. Although she did not tell me how, the coroner can get a very good idea from the way a knot is tied whether the victim tied it themelves, or whether it was done for them. Not sure whether that is at all relevant in your brother's case - possibly not. But even if hanging was not his cause of death, it would be interesting to know.

Somebody had to have ordered that your brother's body be removed for embalming. What if your parents had wanted him to be cremated? He was theirs. Wasn't that their decision? Someone took an awful lot on him or herself.

I hope that you will have the strength to remain polite, but patient and persistent. Somewhere, someone knows about your brother's death. Its as easy for you to assume you will find out what really happened as it is to assume you won't. And in that assumption you remove a possible hurdle from in front of yourself.